Bayern – Manchester City preview, let’s burst their bubble again

The first place in Group D in the Champions League isn’t secure yet but it’s a matter of time. FC Bayern must simply avoid a debacle against Manchester City, a team with dubious defence, to finish on top on Tuesday.

Simply put, Bayern currently has 15 points against 12 for their opponents. Their goal differential is 13, while the English side has a 7. They would need a thumping win to leapfrog us.

Manchester City, live by the sword, die by the sword

Abu Dhabi City works with a possesion-based 4-4-2, the centerpiece being Yaya Touré who acts as the deep lying anchor with a mammoth of long shot He will be missing, due to a suspension. David Silva, who has done a good job pulling the attack’s strings from all over the pitch in some of their games, could replace him.

Money Bags have aggressive full backs in Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta, while central defenders Vincent Kompany and Demichelis are conservative but slightly incompetent. There often is rotation in that back four.

The attack is deployed with striker Sergio Aguero as the first man on top, with Alvaro Negredo or Edin Dzeko behind him, slightly to his right. Aguero is one of the hottest strikers at the moment. He likes to shoot from a distance or from a close range, but he’s not an aerial threat for our CB’s.

Attacking midfielder Alvaro Negredo has a good shot. Samir Nasri is a good playmaker and finisher.

Etihad Airlines FC looks impressive at first, especially with set-piece ability and attacking talent. But every time they had a real test on their hands, they lost. Bayern, Chelsea, Arsenal… Aston Villa…. cough… Sunderland. Cough. Cough. Pasting Manchester United doesn’t count anymore. We have been talking about their failure to impress on the big stage for ages.

Money City loses the ball easily in the middle when under pressure. Its central defence is especially vulnerable against passes and crosses, failing to mark the pass’ target.

Have you seen the West Brom match, when opponents easily worked around Demichelis to score goals? His ability to miss a challenge remains legendary.

Their only goal against Southampton, last weekend, was a big gift by the opposing defence, with five players failing to stop an innocuous cross. We won’t forget, either, how Osvaldo ruthlessly undressed Kompany to score on the counter.

In the Champions League, I’ve seen those guys taking advantage of clueless defences. Yet they were challenged. A good vertical attack by CSKA showed how their coverage was non-existent. They weren’t good at defending in the air either. Even Plzen sliced their defence open several times.

I kept the best for last: Joe Hart. The unreliable keeper, famous for his mistakes, doesn’t always play. If he is between the sticks on Tuesday, I have high hopes that we can make fun of him again.

Possible lineup

Bayern, gaining strength

The injury crisis is almost over. We should be fine, with everyone but Holger Badstuber, in the lineup after the winter break.

Tactics against Etihad Airlines FC should be straightforward. Remember the first game in October. One-touch football is something they are unable to deal with and something that the boys are increasingly mastering, especially against “lesser than five-star” defences.

Weakness when challenging a pass recipient in the area should also mean that Bayern will look to send crosses and throughballs to take test Kompany and Demichelis. Should their full-backs be a little too aggressive, they will pay an even higher price on the counter.

Franck Ribéry has returned in style this weekend and I am sure that he is relishing the chance to give the powder blue boys a black eye with his playmaking.

A strong dose of counterpressing will however be needed to slow down their fast playmaking. If they took notes, they will also challenge us in the air, where we have been recently weak. If played, Dzeko could be a threat in that regard.

As one of the most dangerous guys in his side, Nasri may have Javi Martinez in his face. If that matchup takes place, his 90 minutes on the pitch will feel like 180.

Do I expect a win? Obviously.

Possible lineup

Die Weihnachtsfeier nach der Bremen-Gala